


Nothing's Gonna Hurt You, Baby (Nothing's Gonna Take You From My Side)

by RegularGatsby



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Jack Needs a Hug, Just angst, M/M, Working Title: Kent Needs A Lot of Love & A Therapist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 02:34:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8353507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegularGatsby/pseuds/RegularGatsby
Summary: Kent blinks, looking up at the vast expanse of the dark sky, just watching the stars twinkle; they look so beautiful from afar but no matter how hard and far he reaches for them, and just when he thinks he’s caught them, he opens his palm and finds there’s nothing there.He turns his head to look at the boy next to him, realising that this boy is no different than the stars._____Alternatively, you know when it’s the last summer of your childhood and you’re just hanging out with your bro, and you’re looking deep into his eyes and he fondly calls you Kenny, while you're trying not to think about how mercilessly cruel fate is.Lol, you know, just bros being bros.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is un-beta'd and written in quickly at 5 in the morning so if there's any mistakes please let me know, so I can fix 'em. I hope you guys like it.
> 
> Title from: Nothing's Gonna Hurt You - Cigarettes After Sex
> 
> Check out the comic! [(x)](http://omgcheckplease.tumblr.com/post/57705111693/)

“Run away with me, Kenny”

“Okay.” He says with a smile lacing his words, getting up from where he laid on the dew laden grass. He extends his hand down and pulls Jack up, who comes with him willingly, trusting.

Kent intertwines their hands and takes off running. They run, and run, and run till their breaths come out hard and their legs burn with the exertion, and they keep running. Finally, when they’ve most likely ran all the way to the other side of the abandoned park, Kent stops and flops down onto a patch of grass farthest from the singular lit street lamp in sight, pulling Jack down with him, who lands more or less right on top of him; one elbow landing on the grass, shouldering most of his weight, gently pressing into the side of Kent’s arm; the other hand still intertwined with Kent’s, resting between Jack’s collarbones, and right over Kent’s heartbeat. His head held up over Kent’s neck trying to find Kent’s eyes, upper body pressed against his stomach, thigh slipping between Kent’s knees, and just _so close_.

Kent’s sure in this position Jack is graced with a wonderful view of his double chin but it’s cool because it gives Kent the opportunity to stare into Jack’s frosty blue eyes, still so bright in the barest of illumination; the situation gives him the courage to crane his head up a bit further to lean in even closer into Jack’s space. Jack’s breath ghosts his lips as the boy holds himself so perfectly still, his eyes are still looking back into Kent’s, and they break his heart, how cautious they look, so trusting that they remain locked, that they betray how scared Jack truly is.

Suddenly the concept of running away doesn’t feel like a joke, it’s clear that it probably wasn’t to Jack in the first place, and Kent feels it - the need to whisk Jack away from all the scrutiny, hide him away from all those people who have slowly broke away pieces of him leaving him to feel incomplete without a crutch in the form of too many pills. The end of that thought just reminds Kent of all the times he’s let Jack down, and thinks it’s best if it’s not him Jack runs away with.

It breaks his heart but Kent knows he can’t help Jack feel any different, that all he can do is see the look in his eyes and know how he feels, feel the slight tremble in his entire state of being, and do nothing.

Just lean in, and let his lips slide over Jack’s.

Bringing his free hand up, he tangles it in Jack’s hair and pulls as the kiss turns a bit more heated, loaded with want, and searching for something they both don’t quite know what it is, but always missing.

Jack pulls away first, and pulls away entirely. Moving to lay besides Kent instead on top of him, putting a sliver of distance between their bodies, but Kent’s not having this, not tonight, not with such little time left. He moves in closer until their sides press together from shoulder to toes, trapping their hands in between their bodies, his hand on top of Jack’s.

Kent blinks, looking up at the vast expanse of the dark sky, just watching the stars twinkle; they look so beautiful from afar but no matter how hard and far he reaches for them, and just when he thinks he’s caught them, he opens his palm and finds there’s nothing there.

He turns his head to look at the boy next to him, realising that this boy is no different than the stars.

‘Oh fuck,’ he thinks, ’I might be falling in love with him.’

Then he’s reminded of how much his feelings don’t matter in the face of the draft, and the future. How hockey will always be first to Jack, and how hockey will always be first to Kent as well because they’re just verging on eighteen, and all they’ve ever truly been sure of is the ice.

In the quietness of the night, he gives himself but a moment to mourn over something he hasn’t even lost yet, something he’ll never fully have. Then he attempts to pull himself together, and into the moment. He tries to anchor himself with Jack’s even, and very present heartbeat. Finds peace in the pattern of Jack’s breathing. Jack who consumes him whenever they are around each other. Jack, whom he wants to be consumed by.

JackJackJack.

The low thrum of his name being chanted again and again in Kent’s mind electrifies his veins. It never seems to cease in the company of this boy; this boy who has him by his heartstrings and doesn't even realise.

Jack who is here right now, here with Kent.

Here where Kent isn’t the golden boy, or a fucking rags to riches story waiting to happen; and here where Jack isn’t Jack _Zimmerman_ , the prodigy with so much to live up to, so much already chosen for him.

In each other’s company, they get to be who they really are, two boys who are scared shitless of what their future holds for them, but also so fucking excited. The only time they get to be less than perfect is when it’s just the two of them together. Maybe it’s selfish of Kent to like it like this. Maybe people need to see Jack for who he is behind the front he’s put up, so they can help him better than Kent will ever be able to.

“Hey, Zimms...”

“Yeah?”

“You’d tell me if it ever gets too much, right? You’d do that for me, wouldn’t you?”

He feels Jack turn to look at him but doesn’t move to meet his gaze, just let’s Jack’s eyes roam over him, hoping he finds whatever he’s looking for.

When Jack says, “I would, Kenny.” he thinks maybe he found something in Kent to trust him with the responsibility implied.

Years later he’ll look back at that time, and weep over how naive he once was, how he failed, but in the moment he breathes a little easier.

He finally turns his head towards Jack, his mouth curving upwards into a beginning of a smile, and he just looks at him, looks at the first boy he’ll ever love looking back at him, sees him smile, smiles back at him, and he thinks that maybe everything will turn out to be alright.

 


End file.
